Journal-box-lid closer



Feb. 14, 1928.

W. J. MCDONALD JOURNALBOX LID CLOSER Filed Jan. v, 1926 INVENTOR- w W A. N N a M M m B a E F.

Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITE "STATES wznnrnm J. Menomrnn, or CHICAGO, ILLmms, assmnompzno CPIJ'ILIMQEN 1 m .ivrzmnrnornmne oo'n-nommion, 1:01 rumors.

Application filed U aniiary Heretolore, the journal boxes have "been fitted \vifih lids having springs bearing eg'ainstjfihe hinge lugonthehox To insure positive closure of "the lid upon the box ifih'e springs were made of su'llicie'nt strength to transmit spring pressure 'zitlhe box lngjpo- SllLlOll to the lid git fihebo'X opening. WVic'h thelidheldfirinl-yio the'box ab'iihe opening,

spring pressure in excess o'l"fil12it'required for this purpose reacted 'upon the lid fihrough the r; gid conneetionhe'tiveen lid and spring. This caused 'filie lidto fulcrum upon 7 the' boxet its lower side andbe forced 011txvardlyffromthenpper side of thebox opening; the stronger he spring th'e'ino're pr0- nounced 'fihe space between Ithe upper sideof the lid and adjacent edges of tl1eboX-;opening; with the spring tendingto lforce ijhe Tlid outwardly the pin lugs on thelid Would-bear against 'the inner periphery-"of fihe hinge'pin and press the pin against ;the forward side of the pin "bearing in {he boxflug; causing he pin zb'earings -to become 1 elongated under the stress of lid spring pressure and a further falling away of thelid as-ihe'wear (it he pin bearings advanced. Efforts have heve be'en made to overcome-these objections but since 'ihey involved merely the substitution of flexible connection between the spring and lid and'the concentration or spring pressure zitihejce'nterof'the lid failed to accomplish the purpose intended because none of them contemplated 'the' removel of 7 spring pressure ifrom. the "box flag in the lowered; position i 'o'f'vchej lid.

:It is therefore lhe principzil ohjeet of this inventionto relieve the box lugsof'li'd spring pressure when th-elid is in (box elosingp'ositionand cause such pressure lto be received by the mechanism :conneeting 'the box end lid. r

' A further and import-ancobjeet is .toise correlate the lid spring and '.liinge pin that actuation of the boxlid'ito' closeihebox-vvill c ausethe pin to move inwardly and vdrawithe adjacent portion of thelidtighily "against ihe box.

CHICAGO; A *CORPOMTION OI JOURNAL-BQX-L-IJD oLosEn.

7, 1926; Serial No. 79,779.

V Thefforegoing tend other objects are iatta in'ed by myinve nfiion, a preferred ienibodiment; of which is illustrated in the drawings forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. "1 is a vertical longitudinzil section thrn journal box and lid showing the posifijon oil the pin actua'ting mechanism when llCl 1S 'down';

Fig. 2 is a similar view-showing thegposirionof the pin actuating mechanism when the lid is raised i 7 F g. :3 .is a perspeet ive view of ;the;pa1:ts 111st prior to the asseiiiloling operetiontshowing the relation oi the pin actu alfiing mechanisinjpaitsandbox an'dlid; 7 Fig e'is-a vertical sectionfihruihe'boxlug showing the position oli thehinge pinag ziin st rheinner'zwzill of' its bearing .in the lug when fihelid is down; and

Fig. 5 lisia similar. view lid hingelugs shovvingvfihe lid drawn egziinstfthe box. Q

"In said drawings, 10 represents ,a, "journal b'o'x hev ing theusual opening 11 .definedLbfy a lid seat 12 the boxissupported upo'nea'zfle journz l "13 to which 'it is Ihldfby the customarmyfbrass 14c and edge keylf); Theibox opening 11 is closed by flid 51'6 pivotzilly mounted at its lugs '17 upon pinli lhavingza bearing inboxlugll), ill in accordance wlth es t-ziblished v practice. I l e v ,Thei'box lug 719' is slotted ias fbes't shown at 20 and in ,lthe (present embodiments-0f ithe invention a separetellever armflllisientered in the slot in; position to The engaged Eloy .a suitable spring -22secured tolidlfirtheflever arm 21 is mounted:upon'hingepini18 having a bearing in i opening 23 of the lleve'r' arm; the arm' is provi ded with a,protuberant .portion'24 and 1a normzill ylinlined plane Q'face ortion B5 extending iipwar'dly and outwardly "from pin 18, rTheleve'r arm 2lfis ail-so formed with is, depending portionf26 adapted for engegment witherecess 27in thebottom (if 5310 0120 esnshown. in ';Fig. 13. The recess 27* is, preferably veshepe'diin cross section for e purpose to be{ pr.esently .described andproportioned to ,{lllOWzfl limited rocking or the M11121 during" lid; movement. In operation, during movement of ,theli'd -16 from the open or raised position-shown inFigm'Q to she lowered or closed position Lc'hru one inf the upper side of the the rear wall of pin bean 1g '17 to draw ad acent port on shown in Fig. 1, hinge pin 18 is shifted inwardly from a position against the front wall of its bearing 28 in box lug 19 until it engages the rear wall thereof as shown in Fig. 4. This movement is effected by means of lever arm 21 which yields under the pressure of lid spring 22 against inclined face 25 at a point above theaxial center oi the pin 18; the rotation of the lever arm with or upon the pin will carry depending portion 26 forwardly against wall 29 of the V-shaped recess 27.

Further movement of the lid downwardly will cause the spring 22 to bear upon tace 25 of the lever arm and transmit pressure to slot wall 29 thru depending portion 26 of said arm, thereby effecting a translation inthe movement of the pin and lever arm "from a pivotal to a bodily shitt ng of said members inwardly of the box as will be understood, carrying hinge pin 18 against 30 in lid lugs of lid tightly against seat 12 as shown inFig. 5.

To raise the lid to the open position shown in Fig. 2 a reverse movement 01 the mechanism is effected; lid spring 22 will continue to exert pressure upon lace of lever arm 21 until the upper extremity otthe spring passes shoulder 24 on said arm when the pressure of the spring against upper face 31 or" the lever arm 21 will cause said arm to be rocked forwardly until depending portion 26 thereof strikes the rear wall 32 of the recess 27 as shown in Fig. 2 whereupon the rear wall of pin bearing 23 in the lever arm 21 will be thrust against pin 18 and force same against the forward wall oi? bearing 28 in the box lug 19 in which position oi; the parts the lid will be held in the raised position indicated in this figure.

It should be noted that the application of the lid closer mechanism described can be made to old or new journal boxes fitted with any standard American Railway Associa tion lid, and that the mechanism is effective to pull the upper portion of the lid against the box regardless of the wear on hinge pin or pin hearings in box and lid lugs or char acter of lid spring employed.

Although a preferred form of the invention is illustrated and described, it is obvious that various modifications thereof can be made. For example, the lever arm 21 may be made an integral part of the pin 18 and/or the pin may have ofi set portions at the lid lug bearings 30 to draw lid inwardly and the depending portion 26 on the lever arm dispensed with, provided always that the power of the spring in excess of that required to hold the lid to its seatis directed against the hinge pin instead of the box as before explained.

What I claim is. 1. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivoted thereon, of a pin mounted for bodily movement on said box having operative, connection with the lid, a spring carried by said lid, and an arm on said pin adapted for engagement with said spring and etl ective duringclosing movement of said lid to cause said pin to draw the adjacent portion of the lid against the box.

2. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivoted thereon, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a pin mounted for bodily movement on said box having operative connection with the lid, a spring on said lid, and means associated with said pin and operable by said spring to cause said pin to draw the adjacent portion of said lid against the box.

3. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivoted thereon, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a pin mounted for bodily movement on said box having operativc connection with the lid, aspring on said lid, and means intermediate said spring and box and below said pin operable by said spring to cause said pin to draw the adjacent portion of said lid against the box.

l. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivoted thereon, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a pin connecting said box and lid and mounted for bodily movement with respect to said box, and a pin actuating lever arm on said pin operable by said spring to cause said pin to draw the adjacent side of said lid against the box.

5. The combination with a journal box having a lid, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a pin mounted for bodily movement with respect to said box and having operative connection with said lid, and a lever arm adapted for engagement with said spring and box and operable by the spring to cause said pin to draw the adjacent side of the lid inwardly against the box.

6. The combination with a journal box having a lid therefor and a lid lug, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a lid pin mounted for bodily movement with respect to said box and having operative connection with said lid, a lever arm on said pin having direct engagement with said lid spring and box, said lug having a recess for receiving the box engaging portion of said arm, said lever arm being arranged to receive lid spring pressure in excess of that required to hold the lid closed to cause said pin to draw the adjacent side of said lid against the box.

7. The combination with a journal box having a lid therefor, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a pin pivotally connecting said box and lid and shiftable bodily with respect to said box, and a lever arm on said pin operable ill) by said spring to cause said pin to draw the said pin and operable by said spring to cause bodily movement of said pin to draw the adjacent side of the lid against the box.

9. The combination with a journal box and lid therefor, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a

pin pivotally connecting said box and lid, and a lever arm projecting upwardly from said pin and operable by sa1d spr ng to cause bodily movement of said pin in the direction-of pressure of said springto' draw the adjacent side of the lid against the box.

10. The combination with a journal box and lid therefor, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a

= pin pivotally connecting said box andlid,

and a lever arm on said pin having an upwardly projecting arm portion adapted for engagement with said spring at a point above the axial center of the pin to cause bodily movement of said pin in the direc tion of'pressure of said spring to draw the adjacent side of the lid against the box.

11. The combination with a journal box having a lid and a recessed lug portion, of a lid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried by the lid, a pin pivotally connecting said box and lid, and a lever on said pin having upwardly projecting and depending arm portions rockable in said lug and engaging said spring at a point above the axial center of the pin and effective during the closing movement of the lid to cause bodily shifting of said pin in the direction of pressure of said spring to draw the adjacent side of the lid against the box.

12. The combination with a journal box and lid therefor, of alid closer mechanism comprising a spring carried-by the lid, a pin pivotally connecting said box and lid, and

means on said pin operable by the spring to' cause bodily movement of the pin in the direction of pressure of said spring during the closing movement of said lid to draw'the adjacent side of the lid against the box.

' In witness whereof I have hereto set my handthis 5th day of January, 1926.

WILLIAM J. MoDONALD. 

